Education Minister Chris Hipkins hears from community on future of Hato Pētera College

Thursday, 23 August 2018

Education Minister Chris Hipkins has told media he wanted to meet with the community directly before he made his final decision on the future of beleaguered Hato Pētera College's integration agreement.

Education Minister Chris Hipkins will soon decide on the future of Auckland's beleaguered Hato Pētera College, but couldn't say exactly when.

After meeting more than 40 members of the school community on August 23, Hipkins told media he wanted to hear from the community and former students before he made his decision.

'It won't be a matter of months. I do want to get something sooner than that to give certainty to the school community, but I also do want to stay true to my word and consider the feedback I was given today and the feedback they've been giving me through other means.'

This also meant reviewing the advice he had received from the Ministry of Education and the Catholic Diocese of Auckland, he said.

The Kotahitanga Movement Aotearoa feel Māori have failed to be educated at Hato Pētera College. Education Minister Chris Hipkins says the ability to deliver on Māori education is a challenge across the education system and throughout the country.

Despite being pressed on the future of Hato Pētera College beyond the integration agreement, Hipkins said it was ultimately over to the diocese what happened to the school, including returning the land to iwi.

'That's obviously a matter for the Treaty settlement process. That will fall outside my ministerial portfolio.'

Former Hato Pētera College student and spokesperson for the Tauira Tawhito Steering Komiti, Rātahi Tomuri, wants the Catholic Diocese of Auckland to give the school community 'some hope and faith' for the future.

Rātahi Tomuri, spokesperson for the Tauira Tawhito Steering Komiti, a group determined to keep Hato Pētera doors open, felt the meeting was positive.

'We're excited that we've got to this point and now we just have to wait and see how it goes.'

A group representing two Māori families has erected more flags and signage on College Rd in Northcote as Education Minister Chris Hipkins met with Hato Pētera College's school community. The Kotahitanga Movement Aotearoa state they want to repossess the land Hato Pētera College is on.

Tomuri, with the backing of mana whenua Ngāti Paoa and Ngāti Hao, presented Hipkins a future vision for the sustainable development of the school.

This included reinstating the boarding facilities and flexibility on only allowing baptised Catholics to attend Hato Pētera.

A proposal termed 'Hato Pētera 2.0' has been presented to Education Minister Chris Hipkins which calls for the Māori school's boarding facilities to be reinstated.

'He seemed receptive of it, but I don't know exactly what his feelings are around it.'

However, he had the following message for Bishop of Auckland, Patrick Dunn: 'Give us some hope and faith … so that we can strive towards a better future for everyone.'

In June, Hipkins announced his interim decision to cancel the Māori school's integration agreement following a formal consultation in April.

The 28-day limit for Hato Pētera's commissioner Lex Hamill to review this interim decision came and went in July.

In this time, the school's five students had all been accommodated in other schools, Hamill told Stuff.